My husband is not always a fan of the healthy changes I make in the kitchen, but the man has to eat. He doesn’t want to cook for himself, so he’s generally compliant so that his belly gets full. He does understand and appreciate my concern for our family’s health, but sometimes my “I’m-not-going-to-buy-this-anymore” decisions hit a nerve.
For example.
When I said I thought I should stop buying pop (soda, for those of you not in Michigan!), he definitively stated that he would have to buy his own. He even tapped my frugal sensitivity by highlighting how much the pop in his office machine costs. Foiled! I couldn’t let him spend an arm and a leg on junk, so I buy his junk only on super sale. I’m his dealer, so to speak. At least it’s not a matter of faith and morals, so I don’t think I’ll have any extra Purgatory time for it!
For example.
Hamburger Helper. I know this is bad stuff: MSGs, trans fats, HFCS, white pasta, ETC. There’s not much in the ingredient list that grows in the soil or eats things that grow in the soil. It is not real food. In spite of the intellectual knowledge, I’ve had quite an emotional journey with Hamburger Helper, unfortunately:
- As newlyweds we consumed HH almost once a week
- I graduated to keeping it on hand because it was the only way I could get hubby to cook for a night
- I decided it was no good for us, then was totally tempted by an “almost-free” sale — and I caused a bunch of boxes to be thrown away! (Gasp! Wasted food! If you have followed me for a while you know that’s a terrible pet peeve of mine. I you have missed this old post, it’s one of my favorites: The Fate of Returned Food in Grocery Stores.)
- I finally committed to never buying it again. We had a decent stock stored up for the occasional “boys’ nights” that my husband and son have. Their tradition is to make HH together. TRADITION. We finally ran completely out, and let me tell you, I received some nasty glares from hubby as I offered alternate ideas for a boys’ night menu.
Men and Their “Traditions”
You must understand this about my husband: tradition is vital to his survival. This is the man who loves the very act of putting together a fake Christmas tree because he has fond memories of helping his dad every year as a child. He is the type who wears the same socks (or whatever!) for every sporting event as long as the team is winning. (If you change anything, you’ll cause the team to lose, you see – even if the team is on TV. Do any other husbands think they affect the world like this?) He’s got a Labor Day weekend camping trip that’s almost 10 years running with his friends, same spot, same menu, same activities. We had to walk across campus in the snow for every basketball game at MSU wearing only our Izzone T-shirts for 4 years, because that’s how we walked to the first game, and they were on a massive win streak. Seriously. He and Buddy Boy make Hamburger Helper when they have a boys’ night. How am I supposed to buck this system by suggesting they make spaghetti!!??
I thought I was going to be in the doghouse big-time.
I mentioned this dilemma at the Sneaky Trans Fats post, and many kind readers offered their “homemade” hamburger helper remedies. Husband was, naturally, very skeptical. More glaring. Katie shrinks into her computer chair and says a silent prayer for a miracle.
My Miracle
Part of boys' night is the novelty of eating in front of the TV. Son was introduced to Fraggles this night!
Want to know what a miracle sounds like?
“Mmmmmm, this is GOOD! Really, really good!”
*sigh of relief*
Enduring all the skepticism was worth it! My husband, to his credit, really stepped up to the plate (wearing the proper socks, I am sure) and had a great attitude in front of my son about trying a “new” hamburger helper. I made it as easy as possible by actually getting out all the ingredients for him. It really wasn’t any harder than the box.
I didn’t decide on which recipe was first to walk the plank until the night of its big debut, but I had to go with John Mastro’s Classic Cheeseburger Macaroni recipe, mostly because he’s a dad, too, and he tells quips “a tall, cold one for the dads” at the end of the recipe. I was banking on some manly camaraderie there!
I was even willing to allow the 1/2 cup of ketchup that the recipe calls for, high-fructose corn syrup and all, but I had already opened a big can of tomato sauce two days before because I was originally planning on using this recipe from the comments at the trans fat post. Time to improvise (more hasty prayers)! Here’s what the boys actually ended up making:
Dad’s Cheeseburger Helper
Tell me this doesn't look just like the "real" thing from a box!
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb pasta (they used white this time – gotta compromise sometimes!)
2 c. water
1 1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tsp sugar
squirt of mustard
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
salt to taste (at least 1/2 tsp?)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Brown and drain beef. Stir in pepper, onion powder, tomato sauce, sugar, and mustard. Pour in water and pasta. Bring to a boil and reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the water is absorbed and the pasta is cooked. Turn the heat off and stir in the cheese.
My son had a bunch of fun helping brown the beef and measuring the spices. I overheard him coaching Daddy on how he holds the measuring spoon and the adult pours the spice into it, and then he gets to dump it in the pan. Too cute! He loves the fact that Dad lets him get right up to the stove and help cook, which I don’t often do because I’m juggling the toddler as well. He’s so responsible about the hot food (and going to make a wonderful husband someday, I might add! See how he cuts food to help cook here!)
Baby Steps and Future Goals
Would this be more healthy with real onion, some colored peppers thrown in, fresh garlic, and whole wheat pasta? Of course. Do I know how to pick my battles? One must, if one is to survive in a family. It’s okay to cheat a little, especially when you’re taking a baby step away from something even more unhealthy. This is a good forward momentum move for us.
My next task is figuring out how to reverse engineer hubby’s FAVorite Hamburger Helper, Double Cheesy Enchiladas. It’s rice based, so it’s an entirely different ballgame (but it’s GOT to be doable, especially if I wear the same underwear I had on last week with this win!).
And how do I know my husband is finally on board with this? He’s ready to call the recipe his own: “I think it would be even better with bacon.” I agree with him completely.
Does your family want to take baby steps to better nutrition, without breaking the bank? Stick around Kitchen Stewardship for a lot of tips, encouragement, and LOL stories! Sign up for an email subscription or grab my reader feed.
If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.
Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money. If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.
Other ways I’m moving away from boxed food:
- Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni
- Mexican Beans and Rice
- Homemade Tortillas
- I’m trying soon: slow cooker mac-and-cheese
I’m happy to share my success at:
- Ann Kroeker’s Food on Fridays
- Family Friday at Homemaker Barbi
- Mouthwatering Mondays at A Southern Fairytale
- Finer Things Friday at The Finer Things in Life
- Homemaker Mondays
- Slightly Indulgent Mondays
Hungry for more? Related posts:
I love your HH post! My hubby is a little freaked out about all the things I do “from scratch”. This weekend he caught me putting vinegar and a few drops of essential oils in the softener dispenser of our washing machine when I was doing his laundry. He said (joking, of course) “I don’t know what kind of witches brew your coming up with but just use Tide on my clothes”. Then, after his jacket was dry he still kept smelling it like I had contaminated it. Eventually he rubbed a bounce sheet (uggh) all over it. So, he’s fighting it every step of the way. But I gain some ground sometimes. And he loves me in spite of all my excentricities! But I do laugh when I hear him bragging about me to his mother. Gotta love that! She is a long-time, nothing but – Tide user and we have all agreed that we’ll just keep that “our little secret.” Ha!
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What a great idea to make over a recipe like that! I know men like their traditions but wow, that recipe sure sounds better than any Hamburger Helper I ever tasted! So glad they liked it – although I can’t imagine how they could not!
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This made me laugh so stinkin’ hard………….
(but it’s GOT to be doable, especially if I wear the same underwear I had on last week with this win!)
I’m in the same boat on some dishes too
Jen´s last blog ..Vegetable Pasta Sauce
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I am still laughing. They both look very pleased with themselves and that’s not a bad recipe either.
Mary´s last blog ..Celery Soup – Foodie Friday
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That is awesome!
I didn’t know you guys were MSU fans…!
Did you do your undergrad/grad work there? Or, just fans? I ask because we’ve called MSU “home” for half a decade as we finish our PhDs.
SnoWhite´s last blog ..Red Pepper Soup
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Katie Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 2:04 am
!!!
We met there and are both alums…and I’m going to the game tomorrow (with 58 layers of clothing and an umbrella) with my best friend and roomie from college!
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Congratulations Mommy!!
Congratulations to the boys, too. They look like a great team!
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Great post! I’m going to try this one of these days.
Have you ever tried to make the NT ketchup yet? I made some this summer. If I were to do it again, I’d leave out the fish sauce as the odor/flavor is quite noticeable (not horrible, but I’m just not accustomed to ketchup smelling like fish). My DH sounds rather like yours and he’ll eat it, so hopefully yours would too.
(The fish sauce I used is not homemade. Bought it an asian grocery. There were so many to choose from and I didn’t know which to pick, so maybe others aren’t as fishy as the one I bought?)
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Katie Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 2:06 am
Sarah,
I tried Passionate Homemaking’s HM ketchup, but I don’t know if it’s similar to NT’s. Fish sauce would be a big no-no for my husband! He wouldn’t eat the HM ketchup that I made anyway…
Katie
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LOVE this post, Katie. Our men and their traditions…
Amy @ Finer Things´s last blog ..Finer Things Friday: Pumpkin Patch
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Katie Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 12:16 am
Amy,
Katie
I know you would know what I’m jesting about here, being a coach’s wife!
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My hubby is a lot like yours in that he is not thrilled about changes I am trying to make in the kitchen and in the food we eat. I would love to hear any more tips/tricks/advice you have for getting hubbies on board!
I guess it is all about baby steps. I was telling my hubby how I wanted to make homemade peanut butter. He said, “If you did that then we could have homemade bread, homemade jam and homemade peanut butter for sandwiches.” When he says things like that it makes me SO happy!
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Katie Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 2:09 am
Emily,
Welcome to KS! All my friends who get into this nutrition stuff agree that it’s a challenge to get the husbands on board…but you did an excellent job of answering your own question! I like to point out “good” homemade meals and why they’re special while we’re eating and enjoying them. Just like your husband said about the bread, it makes the work you do stand out and seem worth it.
A couple people asked questions about husbands lately, so I’ll touch on that Monday in a post!
Thanks for sharing!
Katie
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Love this story! My husband is very similar, so we are definitely making baby steps to healthy. Thanks!
Greta´s last blog ..Fitness Plan Friday
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Twitter: nourishedmama
// Oct 23, 2009 at 6:12 pm
They look so happy. I love these “make it better” recipes that I’ve been seeing a lot lately. I totally miss hamburger helper, by the way.
Jenny @ Nourished Kitchen´s last blog ..Make it Better: Strawberry Milk Shakes
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LOL! My husband and I just had a similar discussion (confrontation?) when he mentioned he was in the mood for HH. I responded, “I’m sure I can make something like that!” To which he grumbled something under his breath. : ) I’ll surely be trying this recipe soon!
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Pop! I grew up in Michigan and it wasn’t until I moved out of state that I learned what the rest of the world called pop.
I’d be grateful if my husband and four year old son would make hamburger helper once every couple months. I wouldn’t even care how bad it was for me! Of course, the meat would have to be grass-fed.
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Great post!! It’s so true. My husband is ok with making food from scratch instead of boxed stuff, but heaven forbid I suggest adding some chopped greens to a recipe that doesn’t call for it! haha Usually when a meal comes out well I’ll say, “This is good, what would you do differently next time to change it up?”
He’s getting there. I’m just grateful he cooks at all. Sometimes.
Michelle @ Find Your Balance´s last blog ..Slice it, Stuff it, Top it, Eat it
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It is easy to find Ketchup w/o corn syrup, and it does go on sale….stock up! We love the Meijer Naturals brand
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Food on Fridays: Chocolate Raspberry Sticks « // Oct 27, 2009 at 2:44 pm
[...] Sorghum Spice Cookies 3. Tara @ Feels like home (apple crisp) 4. Mother Hen (More Cheap Eats) 5. Kitchen Stewardship (Successful Hamburger Helper Substitute) 6. Kari @ Eating Simply – Black Bean Lasagna 7. Kari @ Eating Simply – Heartwarming [...]
I am hoping you didn’t go to the MSU games *literally* in only your t-shirts! ROTFL
That Hamburger Helper stuff looks mighty good, though, and right up my hubby’s alley, so I’m copying it down.
(BTW, where husbands are concerned, you know you have really made progress when they get to the point of *preferring* the healthier stuff. Mine is very patient and tolerant of all of the changes we’ve made since our marriage, but for a long time he still preferred the storebought stuff. [He still drinks Coke, too, so I hear you on buying it when it's cheap!] But a while back I ran out of cheddar cheese and I made him a grilled-cheese sandwich with sliced American cheese, and storebought bread, and he told me later that it wasn’t nearly as good as grilled cheese with cheddar cheese on my homemade bread – which he hadn’t cared much for when I first started making them that way. That’s when you know you’ve come a long way.
)
Rachel R.´s last blog ..Quotable – housework
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Katie Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 2:13 am
Ahem. Thank you for pointing out the technicality.
Love the story about the hubby preferring homemade! That is quite a benchmark!
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You are exactly right! I don’t know what it is about men and Hamburger Helper, my house full of men love it too. I think it’s gross. I will definately be trying your recipe! Thanks for sharing!
~Liz
Liz@HoosierHomemade´s last blog ..Aldi’s Money Saving Meal~ Chili
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GREAT!!! post and it’s wonderful seeing a man in the kitchen cooking. Your little man is a GREAT!!! daddy helper.
Geri@heartnsoulcooking´s last blog .." BUTTER PECAN ICE BOX COOKIES "
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kids and hubby love cheeseburger mac as well. I loved reading this post I love the fact that your son and husband were cooking in kitchen together what a great example they were setting
angie´s last blog ..Lenox Drinks of the Season
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My mom never cooked Hamburger Helper and I don’t either. My husband used to eat boxed Rice A Roni and that pasta in a box (I don’t know what it’s called) but he doesn’t any more.
I think that it’s so important to celebrate our progress along the way – like you did here. We all grow at our own pace and we all have our own things we want to change. I’d love to be better at grocery shopping and using what we have on hand. I am horrible at it…but I’m making progress.
Thanks for linking to Slightly Indulgent Mondays!
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Katie Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:18 am
Amy,
(It’s called Pasta-Roni – creative, eh?)
Progress is good!
Katie
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I love this post and I LOVE the pictures of “the boys” ;_) I love recreating recipes to make them healthier (and often cheaper)
GREAT post!
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Triple Berry Coconut Cake – Slightly Indulgent Mondays : Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free // Nov 8, 2009 at 11:08 pm
[...] @ Gluten-Free Homemaker (multigrain apple muffins)3. Alea @ Premeditated Leftovers (meatballs)4. Kitchen Stewardship (Homemade Hamburger Helper)5. Carrie @ A Chocolate Covered To-Do List (Black Bean Brownies)6. Kim, The Food Allergy Coach (Teff [...]
Finer Things Friday: Pumpkin Patch | The Finer Things in Life // Jan 4, 2010 at 10:41 am
[...] Granola) 16. Kitchen Stewardship (Dad-and-Son Night w/ Successful Hamburg Helper Substitute) 17. Kitchen Stewardship (Dad-and-Son Night w/ Successful Hamburg Helper Substitute) 18. Cents to Get Debt Free 19. Monica@DailyDwelling 20. Newlyweds (Winter Garden) 21. [...]
This sounds really good! I think it’s the cheese that really sells me on it.
How can you go wrong with 2 cups of cheese involved???
JessieLeigh´s last blog ..All Preemies Are Not Created Equal
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We tried this recipe over the weekend, and WE LOVE IT! My husband was truly surprised since he loves his hamburger helper. My friend renamed the recipe to “Hamburger Helper without the Help.”
Diana´s last blog ..Dallas visit of the holy relics of Christendom
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I made this for dinner tonight with gluten free pasta and added a bit of cajun spice for some kick. My son announced it was his new best friend, and claimed the leftovers for his lunch tomorrow. Thank you for a quick and easy dinner.
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